THIS invention relates to an electronic signature authentication method and system.
Legal documents such as contracts, agreements and affidavits etc. typically require a handwritten signature from signatories thereto in order to render the same legally binding. The signature is assumed to be original and is normally considered enough evidence in the authentication of the signing parties when the document is under dispute. This outdated pen-to-paper approach has however caused several problems in the legal and administrative domains relating to fraudulent activities, misplaced documentation and forgery.
Electronic signatures aim to solve the administrative problems around document management whilst trying to duplicate the traditionally accepted action of physically signing a document. Rather than print out reams of documentation for the purpose of signing, the document is rather displayed on-screen. The signer is then asked to sign on an electronic pad (or tablet) with a stylus (in a manner similar to signing with a real pen on paper) and the electronic signature representation (otherwise referred to the electronic signature) is then applied to the document displayed on-screen. Various electronic security measures exist to enforce that the document cannot then be altered in its electronic format after it has been electronically signed. In its electronic format, digital certificates and tokens containing the signing data can be attached to the document to ensure successful authentication of the signer should the document come under dispute.
It is not always possible or viable to keep the signed document in electronic format however and it may inevitably need to be printed out. It is in this case that electronic signatures have failed to solve the legal problems surrounding documents and their authentication. It is probably due to this reason alone that it is still required for many legally binding documents to be signed as originals using the pen-to-paper method.
The present invention seeks at least to address the abovementioned problem/s.